Can carriers



Feb. 11, 1958 P. A. TOENSMEIER 2,823,062

CAN CARRIERS Filed Oct. 24, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 7a 79 FIG. I

2/ lol I 94 INVENTOR 88 7M? lim ng;

89; 9h) I Q JZ MMM i ATTORNEY5 1958 P; A. TOENSMEIER 2,823,062

CAN CARRIERS Filed Oct. 24, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOB A ORN Yi Feb. 11, 1958 P. A. TOENSMEIER 2,823,062

CAN CARRIERS Filed Oct. 24, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

INVENTQR I um.

ATTORNEY;

Feb. 11, 1958 P.' A. TOENSMEIER 2,823,062

CAN CARRIERS 7 Filed Oct. 24. 1955 4 Sheets-Shet 4 INVENTOR mm. w

ATTORNEY .walls along fold lines. end sections of the two strips are connected to each side United States Patent CAN CARRIERS Patrick A. Toensmeier, Hamden, Conn., assignor to The New Haven Board & Carton Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application October 24, 1955, Serial No. 542,258

14 Claims. (Cl. 294-87.2)

This invention relates to cartons for carrying a plurality of like articles and is concerned more particularly with a novel carton for holding and carrying a plurality of cans having chimes and either fiat or cone tops. The new carrier is made from a single blank of paperboard and it is superior to prior can carriers, in that it requires substantially less board and is thus less expensive to manufacture. Also, the carrier grips the cans at one end only, so that substantially the entire length of the cans is exposed and the loaded carriers may be placed in displays with the can labels visible. The new carriers may be loaded at any desired place, suchas the plant where the .cans are filled, and can then be shipped to the retail outof features, which provides means for gripping a single I 1 can by the end, and the combination is used a number of times and in different arrangements in carriers for different purposes. The combination includes an end or top wall to overlie the end of a can, a pair of side walls connected to the edges of the end wall, and a pair of partition strips extending between the free edges of the side walls. Each strip has a mid-section and end sections integral with the mid-section and connected to the side The fold lines, by which the wall, converge toward the end wall and define angles substantially in excess of 100. The end sections of the strips are folded back along the fold lines toward the inner faces of the side walls and, because of the size of the angle between the convergent fold lines, the end sections do not lie in contact with the side walls but at an oblique angle thereto. The folding of the end sections of the strips as described causes the mid-sections of the strips to extend convergently toward the end wall at oblique angles thereto and the inner edges of the strips are separated, so that the. strips define a compartment for the end of a can. The inner free edges of the strips are spaced a distance less than the can diameter, but, when a can is inserted into the compartment, the strips are distorted and their inner edges separate to permit the end of the can to pass between them, after which they engage the can wall in front of the chime and hold the can against dislodgment from the compartment. The. can is further held in the compartment by means of openings in the side walls, into which the chime projects, or, in a carrier for cone top cans with caps, the end wall may have .openings, through which the caps may pass to rest upon 2,823,062 fiat entedFeb- 1 3 of a carrier made from the blank of Fig. 1 and in loaded condition;

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the loaded carrier shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of the blank shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. '5 is a plan view'of a blank for a modified form of. the new carrier;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation with parts broken: away of a carrier made from the blank of Fig. 5 and in use;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a blank for another modified: form of the carrier, which has a handle;

Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation with parts broken away of the carrier made from the blank of Fig. 7 and in loaded condition; V

Fig. 9 is an end view of the carrier shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified form of'the carrier;

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view on the line 11-11 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan view of a form of the new carrier having a handle and for use with cone top cans with caps;

Fig. 13 is a view inside elevation of the carrier made from the blank of Fig. 12 and in loaded condition; and

Fig. 14 is a view in end elevation of the carrier shown inFig. 13.

The blank 20 of Fig. 1 is for the production of a carrier for a row of three cans having fiat ends and the blank includes a wall 21 extending over the ends of the cans. A side wall 22 .is connected to one lateral edge of the wall 21 along a fold line 23 and a glue flap 24 is connected to the other lateral edge of the wall along a fold line 24a. A plurality of pairs of partition strips connect the free edge of side wall 22 to one'edge of a side wall 25, which can be connected to the other lateral edge of wall 21 by the glue flap 24.

The partition stripz26 at one end of the blank has end sections 27,28 and a mid-section 29 integral with the end sections. The end section 27 is connected to wall 22 along a fold line made up in part of a crease line 30 and a cut 31 extending as aprolongation of the crease line, and end section 28 is similarly connected to side wall 25 along a fold line made up of a crease line 32 and a cut 33. The strip 34, which forms 'a pair with strip 26, hasan end section'35 connected to side wall 22 alonga fold line made up of a crease line 36 and a cut 37 and another end section 38 connected to side wall 25 along a fold line made up of acrease line 39 and a cut 40. The end sections 35, 38 of strip 34 are integral with a midsection. 41 and the strips 26, 34 are separated by a cut 42. The cuts 31, 37 at the ends of the end sections 27, 35 form part of a smooth curve, as do also cuts 33 and 40 at. the. ends of. end sections 28, 38.

The fold lines, along which the ends of the' strips 26, 3.4 are connected to each of the side walls 22, 25, define an angle A betweenthem, as shown inFig. 1a, and this angle is in excess of .100 and. ordinarily ranges from about 1-10 to about 120. The. provision of fold lines making-such an angle substantially in excess-of" is important in the functioning of the. carrier, as will be pointed out her'eaft'en. In setting up the carrier, th e partition strips are folded inwardly toward the. wall 21 and, in order to facilitate the folding of the strips, ,the strips are formed with crease lines. Thus, the strip '26, is provided with a curved crease line 43 connecting the ends of cuts 31,133 and a similar crease line 44' in strip 34 connects the ends of cuts 37, 40. The crease lines 43, 44 are smooth continuations of the cuts and lieconcave to eachother and symmetrical about the cut 42. Additional curved crease lines 45, 46 extend across the strips 26, 34 near opposite ends and are convex to each other.

Inward from strips 26, 34,.the blank is cut and creased totprovide' stnips 47," 4 8, which-are similar to, strips 26 ,and 34. Strip 47 has an end section 49 connected-to:-side wall 22 along a fold'line made uppfiacrease line (1:and a cut 51 and crease lines 50 and 36 attheirzrinnerends are connectedby a-curved cut. 52. .Atitsotheraend, strip 47 has an end section 53 connected-to side-Wallis along a fold line made up of .a crease line :54 and a cut-55, and crease lines 39, 54 are joined by a-curved cut56 similar to cut 52. Crease ;l ines'36, 50 and39, 54 define angles, which areequal to angle' A. The endsections 49, 53 of strip 47 are connected by a mid-section corresponding to section 29 of strip 26.

Strip 48 has an end section. 57 connected to sidewall 22 along a fold line consisting of a crease line-58 and a cut 59, which merges with cut- 51. At its otheraend, strip;48 has an end section 60 connected to side -wall'25 along a fold line consisting of a crease line 61 and a cut 62, which merges with cut ,55. The strips 47, 48 are 7 provided with curved crease lines 63, 64, which are similar to crease lines 43,44, and crease lines 44, 63 are tangent. Strips 47, 48 also have curved crease lines 65, 66, which correspond to crease-lines'45, 46, and the strips are'separated by a cut 67 corresponding to cut 42.

The blank is cut and creased to provide .a third pair of strips 68, 69, which are identical in all .respects with strips 26,34 and :need not be described in'detail. Strips 68, 69-are connectedto, side walls 22, .25 :along fold lines defining angles A at opposite ends of the strips andthe strips1have curved creaselines 70, 71 corresponding to lines 63,64, the line 70 in strip 68 being tangent to line .64 in .strip48. Strips 68, 69 also have curvedcrease lines 72, 73 corresponding to the crease lines 45,46.

It willbe observed that the pairs of strips areconnected tothe side walls 22,25along sinuous fold lines made up of crease :lines .lying at an angle to one another and cuts connecting the ends of .adjacent fold lines. These fold lines approach each other most closely between adjacent pairs of strips and are farthest apart at the ends 'of the :cuts separating the strips-of a pair. A pair of parallel :crease lines 74,75 extend across the strips-and lie approximately tangent to the fold lines at the points where these lines are nearest each other. The lines 74, 75 also passthrough the points where the curved crease lines, :suchas 45, 16, intersect their associated-curved crease :lines 43, 44.

A cut 76 of wide U-shape'isformed in *side wall 22 at the end of strips 26, 34 with the ends of the legs-of the cut terminating-in the crease line 23. Thecutthus formsa tongue 77 extending outwardly from one lateral edge'of wall 21. Similar cuts form like tongues on wall'2l'opposite strips 47,48 and 68, 69. A cut 78 of the 'same shape as cut 76 is made in gluefiap 24 opposite:cut 76 :and the'ends of the legs of cut 78 terminate in the'crease line'24a separating the ;glue flap and wall 21. Cut 78 forms a tongue 79'projecting from the edge of wall 21 and similar tonguesare formed by like cuts in line with the tongues opposite the ends of strips 47,48 and 68, 69.

'To completethe carton, the glue flap 24 and side wall '22are turned through 90 to lie parallel to each other and to ,extend'frorn the'same face of wall 21. Theblank is then folded on lines 74, 75 to bring side wall 25 against the surface of glue flap24 and the wall and flap are secured together. The folding of the 'side wall 22 and the glue flap 24 relative to wall'21 produces openings in the wall and glueiflap adjacent. theplaneof wall 21, .where tongues 77and79 on wall 21 have been freed from wall 22 and the glue flap. When the blank has been folded .tubularstructure is formed'with the walls 22,, 25 'lying. at rjght angles to wa1l 21and the mid-sections of strips 26,

134mm,; lyingiinxa: plane parallel ;.to the wallazl, "while the end sections of the strips lie in the planes of walls 22, 25, respectively.

In loading the carrier, the partition strips are first folded inwardly. When pressure is applied for this purpose to the mid-section of strip 26 adjacent cut 42, the end sections 27, 28 of the strip fold downwardly and inwardly along crease lines 30, 32,towar'd the inner surfaces of walls 22, 25. Pressure similarly applied to the mid-section of strip 34 causes the end sections 35, 38 of the strip to fold-downwardly and inwardly along fold lines 36, 39 toward the inner-surfaces ofwalls 22, 25. If angle A were a right angle, so that the angle between crease line 30 and. cut 42, for example, were 45 the folding in of strip 26 as described would cause its end section 27 to lie flat against the inner surface ofwall 22. However, with angle A greater than a right angle, the infolding of strips 26 and 34 causes their end sections to lie at oblique angles to the side walls 22, 25 and their mid-sections tolie at oblique angles to wall 21 with the free edges of strips defined by cut 42 spread apart. The separated stripsdefine a compartment for a can 80, although the free inner edges of the strips lie closer together than the diameter of the can. However, the strips are distortable and the end of thecan may be insertedbetween them with 1 its chime 81 passing by the edges of the strips. When the can'has'been inserted until. its end lies against wall 21, the chime of'the can is opposite the openings in wall 22 and glue flap 24 formed by the cutting of the tongues 77, 79. The width of wall '21 is such that, as the end of the can engages wall 21, the can chime enters the openings beneath tongues 77, 79 and, at the same time, the inner edgesQof strips26 and 34 bear against the inner side of the. chime. Asthe strips have been distorted to permit the .end of the can to pass between them, the resilience of the board causes the strips to press firmly against the 'sideof the can and-thus maintain the edges of the strips in. contact with the chime of the can.

To complete the' loading of the carrier, the pairs of .strips47, 48 and 68, 69 are folded inwardly as described to. make can compartments and the ends of the cans are inserted into the compartments. As the end of eachv can moves inward into contact with wall 21, the chime of the canenters the openings in side wall 22 and glue flap 24 close to the plane of wall 21 and the inner edges of strips '47, 48 and 68, 69 bear against the can wall and also against the inner surfaces of the chimes of the cans. When the carrier has been loaded as described, it may be rea'dily graspedand picked up-rbetween the fingers pressing'upon the-side.walls.22,. 25 and the cans are so securelyiheld in the carrier that they cannot be accidentallyidislodged. .The loaded carrier can be set upfor display purposes-with-the carrierat the top or the bottom of the cans. IOrdinari-ly, the .carrier will lie at the top of the.cans, as shown .inlEigQZ, in which event the wall 21 provides ,afiat top,,upon which the bottom ends of the cans in .another loaded carrier may beseated. The walls "22, 25.are ;relative ly.narrow,..so that substantially the entire length of ,eachcan ,in a loaded carrier is exposed and, thus, whenloaded carriers. are set up in displays, the. labels .on the cans are ,almost v.Wholly visible.

IIIn the-carrier-made .of the..blank shown infFig. l, the partition strips .,are,.provided .with curved crease lines, .such .as. those. designated .43, 44,.- f or facilitating the fold- ,ing: offthe strips -to 'make thecaneompartments. It is not necessary that t h e stripsgbe formed :as described and the .-blank-}82, of whichnaaportiomis shown in Fig. 4, has strips of an alternative form. Strip :83-in blank 82 has an end zsectionz-84zzconnected.to.a side wall 85- alonga fold line .made up of:a .crease line"'86.anda cut 87. At its other :ehdgthecstfiipdtayan endsection' 88 similar to -section 84 and connected to a side wall 89 along a fold line ma'de '.up :'of a:crease:linee90- and aicut 91. The-end-sections t, 88 are connected to a mid-section 92 along parallelcrease lines 93;94sextending' the full'. width of the blank.

The adjacent strip 95 of the first pair in blank 82 is similar in all respects to strip 83 and it has an end section connected to side wall 85 along a fold line made up of a crease line 96 and a cut 97. Similarly, strip 95 has an end section at its other end connected to side wall 89 along a fold line made up of a creaseline 98 and a cut 99. The cuts 87, 97 are straight and intersect at one end of a cut 100 defining the inner edges of strips 83, 95 and cuts 91, 99 are straight and intersect at the opposite end of cut 100. The fold lines at opposite ends of the strips form an angle A, which is substantially greater than 100 and normally ranges from 110 to 120.

The strips of the other pairs in blank 82 are similar in all respects to strips 83, 95 and adjacent strips of adjacent pairs, such as strips 95 and 101, are connected along straight fold lines, such as fold line 102, between their mid-sections.

The blank 82 is folded and glued in the same manner as blank 20 to produce the carrier and the can compart ments are formed as above described by applying pressure to the mid-sections of the strips to cause them to fold inwardly along the fold lines, by which their end sections are connected to the side walls. As the angles A are greater than 90, the folding of the strips inwardly causes their end sections to lie at an oblique angle to the side walls and their mid-sections to lie at oblique angles to the end of the top wall of the carrier and to converge toward that wall. The can compartments between the strips of a pair are a shorter distance across than the diameter of a can and the insertion of a can causes the strips to be forced apart, so that they bear against the side of the can and engage the under side of its chime.

The carriers produced from the blanks 20, 82 are ordinarily used with cans having flat ends, that is, ends which do not protrude outwardly beyond the chimes, although the ends may actually be concave. These carriers, however, can be employed equally well with cone top cans having flat bottoms, in which event the bottom ends of the cans are inserted into the carrier instead of the top ends. When the carriers are so employed, it may be desirable to construct them, so as to permit loaded carriers to be stacked one upon another. When the cone top cans have concave bottoms adapted to receive the caps of other cans, the carrier may be formed of a blank 103, which is similar in all respects to blank 20, except that the wall 21' corresponding to wall 21 is formed with a plurality of openings 104 opposite each of the can compartments. When the carrier made from blank 103 is used for carrying cans 105 having cone tops 106 closed by caps 107, the bottoms of the cans are inserted in the compartments of the carrier defined by the pairs of partition strips and each can bottom rests on wall 21 and the openings 104 are centered with the cans. The loaded carrier may then be placed on the tops of a group of cans in another carrier with the caps of the cans in the bottom carrier extending through the openings 104 in the bottom wall of the upper carrier and engaging the concave bottoms of the cans in the upper carrier.

The carriers made from the blanks illustrated in Figs. 1-6, incl., are for a relatively small group of cans and are not provided with handles. When the new carrier is to be employed for carrying as many as six cans, it is desirable to make it in a form holding the cans in two rows of three each and provided with a handle. A blank for this form of the new carrier is illustrated in Fig. 7.

The blank 108 comprises a pair of handle panels 109, 110 connected along a fold line 111 and having tongues 112 partially severed therefrom and foldable out of the plane of the board to provide finger openings. A pair of top walls 113,, 114 are connected along crease lines to the outer edges of panels 109, 110 and the top wall 113 is connected along a crease line to an outer side wall 115. A group of partition strips 116, 117 arranged in pairs connect the outer side Wall 115 to an inner side wall 118 and wall 118 has an integral handle extension 119 at its outer end. Top wall 114 is similarly connected along its outer edge to an outer side wall 120, which is connected by a group of partition strips 121, 122 in pairs to an inner side wall 123 integral with a handle extension 124. The partition strips in the two groups have end sections con nected to the inner and outside walls along fold lines and the fold lines at each end of a pair of strips define an angle equal to angle A and in excess of Openings are formed in the outer side wall along its junction to top wall 113 by cuts 125 and openings are similarly formed in outer side wall by cuts 126. The inner side wall 118 is formed with openings 127 aligned with the outer openings in side wall 115 produced by cuts and wall 118 has an opening 128 large enough to receive both flaps 112 on a handle panel and having a portion aligned with the middle opening in wall 115 produced by a cut 125. The inner side wall 123 is formed with openings 129, 130 corresponding in shape and position to openings 127, 128, respectively. The blank is also provided with transverse fold lines 131, 132 crossing strips 116, 117 and corresponding to fold lines 74, 75 in the blank 20 and the blank has similar transverse fold lines 133, 134 extending across strips 121, 122.

In forming the carrier from the blank 108, the blank is folded along the line 111 to bring the handle panels 109,110 face to face and the top walls 113, 114 are folded at right angles to the handle panels to extend horizontally. The outer side walls 115, 120 are then folded down to lie at right angles to the top walls and the blank is then folded along the lines 132, 133 to cause the partition strips of the two groups to lie beneath and parallel to the respective top walls 113, 114. The inner side walls are next folded on lines 131, 134, so as to extend toward the top walls and to lie face to face, and the handle extensions 119, 124 on the inner side walls are placed between the handle panels 109, 110. The handle extensions and handle panels are then secured together by gluing or stapling.

When the carrier made from the blank 108 has been completed, it is prepared for loading by forcing the strips 116, 117 and 121, 122 inwardly as described in connection with the carrier made from the blank 20. The inward folding of the strips of the carrier made from blank 108 provides can compartments in two rows of three each and, when a can is inserted in one of the compartments, and moved inwardly until its end strikes one of the top walls 113, 114, the chime of the can enters an opening in the outer side wall produced as a result of the forma tion of one of the cuts 125, 126 and also an opening in the inner side walls 118, 123. The latter opening may be one of those designated 127, 129 or parts of the openings. 128, 130. When a can is in position with its chime in the openings mentioned, the chime is engaged from beneath by the inner edges of the partition strips forming the compartment, in which the can has been inserted. The can is thus tightly gripped at its upper end and cannot be accidentally discharged from the carrier. When the carrier is to be lifted, the flaps 112 on one handle panel are pushed. out of the plane of that panel and through the openings formed in the other panelby forcing the corresponding flaps outwardly.

A desirable form of the new carrier is one for use in transporting a pair of large cans, such as those of the 46 02.. size. Such a carrier may be Similar in all respects to the carrier produced from the blank108, except that the blank is provided with only one pair of partition strips at each side of the plane of thehandleand the handle is reinforced. For this, purpose, a strip 135 of heavy board is applied to the inner face of one of the panels 109, 110 of the handle. In the completed carrier, the strip projects downwardly below the level of the top walls 113', 114 and it has an opening 136 for the inner edges of the chimes of the cans being carried.

The blank 137 shown in Fig. 12 is that employed for producing a carrier for carrying six cans 105' in two rows ofthreeeach, the-canshaving cone tops 106 closed by caps 107' and alsohaving-a chime I38 between the end-of the cylindrical section-and the adjacentend of the coned section. The blank 137 is similar to blank 108, except that the top-walls 113' 114 have three openings 139defined by-the freeends of-tongues-' 1-40 formed by radial cuts. Also,-the outer side walls 115', 1 20 and the inner side walls 118', 123' are wider than the correspondingside wallsin blank'108. Blank 137 has partition strips 116', 117, 121', 122 similar-to those of blank 108.

Blank 137 is folded and glued to-make the carrier in the same manner as blank 108 and, when't-he carrier is completed,-it is loadedby' insertion ofthe-coned ends of the cans into the compartments between the partition strips. Aseach can is inserted, its cap is-forced't'nrough an opening 139 in one of the top walls, the tongues 140 defining the opening being sufiiciently resilient to permit the cap to pass through the-opening, afterwhichthe tongues spring back and liebeneaththe-fiuted edge of the cap. When a can is in position with its'cap passed through the opening in one of the top walls, the chime 138 of the can lies above and-against theinner edgesof the pair of infolded partition strips defining-the-cor-npartment, into which the can was inserted. Asthe chime of such a can is spaced a considerable distance from the underside of its cap, the side walls of the carrier --must be of sufi'icient length to insure that'theinner edgesofthe partition strips willbear against the chimeof-the'can when its cap restson the top wall. 7

In all forms of the new carrier,-the ends of the-cans are inserted into compartments defined by pairs-ofipartition strips and the end sections of the partition strips of each pair are connected to each side Wallof the'carrier along fold lines, which define an angle-A greater than 100 and ordinarily-lying between 110 and 1 20. As the angle A is increased, the oblique angle bet-ween the infolded end sections and the side walls'inereases -and also the angle, at which the mid-sections of the infolded strips converge, increases. With an increase in the angle of convergence of the mid-sections of the stripsgthe distance between the free-edges of the strips is decreas'ed,-so that a greater distortion of the-strips occurs'when theend of a can is insertedbet-weenthem. Such'increase'd distortion causes the stripsto grip the-sides of theca-n 'more firmly, so that theedges'of the strips are moresecurely held in'position'toengage the underside of the ch-ime of the can and prevent its removal from between the strips. However, as the angle A is increased, the lengthof the contact between the 'free edges of-the strips an'd' the chime of the 'can between them'decreases,-sothat-the formation ofthest'rips with too -great anangle A between the fold lines-at their-'endsmay be undesirable. The-size of the angle varieswith the diameter of the can :and experience has shown-that; 'for best results withai /z oz. can having a diameter of 2 6,, angle A should befab'out 117. The corresponding angle for 1a 1202. canlh'aw ing a diameter of2 is 120- and, for .a 46 oz; can having a diameter of- 4 ",:angle -A' should be 111.

1 claim:

1. A carrier fora row "of cans having chimes at their ends and at least one end flat, which:compr ises a longitudinal wall, side Walls--conneoted to the sideeedges of the longitudinal wall'and extending at an angle thereto, the longitudinal wall-being adapted to -extend from end to end of the-row"of cans," and a plurality of= partition strips in pairs extending between the sidewalls-and having end sections'connecte'd' to the sidewalls-along fold lines at the'edges of theside walls-at theside thereof oppositethe longitudinalwall and midsections integral with the end sections,thefolddines'ofthe end sections of each pair of strips "extendingxonvergently along the face of said side walls'toward the longitudinal :wall to definean an'gle substantially in excess, of 100, the end sections ofthe stripsbeingfolded backalong their told lines toward the inner faces of the respective side walls to lie at an obliqueangle thereto and the mid-sections of the strips of each pairextending convergently toward the longitudinal -wall and providing a compartment for a can, the distanoe'between'the free inner edges of the mid-sections-of'the strips of -a.pair being less than the diameterofa can and the strips being distortable to permit insertionof the ends of cans into the compartments with the chimes'passing beyond the inner edges of the strips.

2. The carrier of -claim;l,' in which the side walls having openings at opposite sides of each compartment for receiving'the chime of acan in the compartment.

3. The carrier of claim 1, in which the'mid-sections of adjacent strips of adjacent pairs are connected along a fold line extending transverse to the'longitudinal wall.

4. The carrier of claim 1, in which the fold'lines between the side walls and'the end sections of the strips of each pair are formed in part of crease'lines and in part of cuts at the intersections of the fold lines.

5. The carrier of claiml, in which the fold lines between theside walls andthe end sections of the adjacent strips of adjacent pairs intersect and the fold lines are formedjin part of crease lines and in part of cuts at the intersections.

6. The carrier ofzclaiml, in which the angle defined by the fold lines between the side walls and the end sections .ofeach pair'of strips ranges from. about to about 7. Thecarrier of;;claim 1,. in which the longitudinal wallhas a ,centraLopeningleading into each can compartment.

8. The carrier ;of.claim.4, i n whichthe ends of the cuts atfold line-intersectionsat the ends of the strips of each/pair atathe'edge of one. side wallware connected to aligned ends 'OfLthGJllltS at the fold, line intersections at the ends of the .stripsofthat pairat thetedgeof the other side wall bycurved crease;lines"convex to each other.

9. The carrier of claim:8, in which each strip has curved crease linesextending across the strip near each end, the crease lines being convex to eachother.

10. The carrier of claim 2, in.which the side walls are connected to the side edges of thelongitudinal wall along crease lines and theopenings for the can chimes lie at such crease lines.

11. The'carrier of claim 10, in whichthe openings are formed in the sidewalls and the'longitudinal wall has a tongue projecting-beyond the side wall at each opening.

12. A carrier for a plurality of cans having chimes at their ends and at least one end fiat, which comprises a pair of top walls lying in a plane, a two-ply handle panel'having the lower edges of its plies connected to the respective adjacent edges of the top walls, outer side walls secured to the edges of the top walls remote from the handle panel and depending therefrom, inner side walls having portions lying. between and secured to the plies. of the handle panel and other portions extending below the top walls,. at least one pair of partition strips extending betweenseach outer. side wall and the adjacent inner sidewall, ;each ofsaid .strips'having end sections connected to thelower. edges. of the respective outer and inner sidewalls along -fold lines and a mid-section integral with the: end: sections, the-fold lines of the end sections of each, pairofi strips extending convergently upwardalong the face of: thezsidewalls to define an angle ranging fromabout 100 to. about 120, theend-sections ofthe strips being folded back alongtheir fold lines toward the inner faces ofrtheside walls, to which the strips are connected, and the mid-sections of the strips of each pair extendingconvergently upward and providing a compartment-for a camthe distance between 10 the upper edges of the mid-sections of the strips of a 14. The carrier of claim 12, in which the top walls pair being less than the diameter of a can and the strips have central openings leading to the can compartments, being distortable to permit insertion of the end of cans the openings being defined by the free ends of resilient into the compartments with the chimes passing beyond tongues.

the inner edges of the strips. 5

13. The carrier of claim 12, in which the inner and References Cited In the file of this patent outer side Walls have openings at opposite sides of each UNITED STATES PATENTS compartment for receiving the chime of a can in the 2,680,038 Gray June 1, 1954 compartment. 2,737,326 Toensmeier Mar. 6, 1956 

